GUEST BLOG POST If you ask ten professionals to define internal audit, most will reach for the comfort of theory: frameworks, standards, or compliance checklists. Yet, when stripped down to its essence, internal audit is nothing more than the disciplined use of common sense to guide organizations toward better decisions. Read More
GUEST BLOG POST For several years following the start of the COVID pandemic, the Institute of Internal Auditors’ “North American Pulse of Internal Audit” reported that internal audit department budgets were dropping. While the 2024 survey reported improving internal audit budgets, the 2025 survey once again raised concerns that internal Read More
GUEST BLOG POST In many organizations compliance is treated like a seasonal performance, where everything is polished just in time for the audit. Controls are executed, evidence is gathered, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed to the letter, but only because someone is watching. Once the audit concludes, attention fades, Read More
GUEST BLOG POST Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s here, embedded in everything from recruitment software and customer service chatbots to financial forecasting tools and fraud detection systems. But with this unprecedented power comes unprecedented risk. From biased decision-making to data-privacy violations, AI systems are capable of Read More
GUEST BLOG POST If you are an internal auditor, you know that time is always in short supply. Between regulatory demands, shifting risks, and the day-to-day responsibilities of maintaining independence and objectivity, finding ways to be more efficient isn’t just helpful, it is essential. At the Audit Library, we work Read More
Continuing a long-standing tradition that started in the 1990s, the internal audit community is observing “International Internal Audit Awareness Month” this May. During the month, internal auditors around the world share examples of how the profession provides value to organizations, spotlight the profession’s commitment to good governance and risk management, Read More
GUEST BLOG POST There are conflicting views on whether internal audit should follow up on every action item from previous audits. Let me see if I can inject some common sense into the debate. Imagine this is the situation: A year ago, management agreed to a recommendation by internal audit Read More
GUEST BLOG POST: Having read more than 4,000 internal audit reports over the years, I can honestly say I’ve never read a single one I’d wished was longer. Most of the time, I’m wishing it were over halfway through the so-called “executive summary.” Most internal auditors—and others—drafting audit reports completely Read More
GUEST BLOG POST When I was recently describing my work as an internal auditor to my older brother, a medical doctor, we stumbled upon a striking similarity: both our professions benefit significantly when focusing on Emotional Quotient (EQ) the ability to navigate emotions intelligently—over Intelligence Quotient (IQ), which focuses on Read More
Last year in this very same article, I wrote about what I called, “a palpable concern for the future among internal auditors.” As 2023 was ending and 2024 was beginning, uncertainty and angst ruled the day. We were still shaking off the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts in Read More
